Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Insolvency

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government why their consultation document Insolvency and Corporate Governance, published on 20 March following the collapse of Carillion, refers to guidance from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) instead of guidance from the Financial Reporting Council (FRC); in particular, why that document states that “the link between the profit in a company’s financial statements and any reserves available for distributions is elaborated in guidance issued by the ICAEW”; and what assessment they have made of the respective roles of the ICAEW and the FRC in issuing such guidance.

lord henley: The consultation document refers to guidance published jointly by the Institute for Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland. The guidance (Technical Release TECH 02/17) is aimed at members of the institutes who are directors, or who are advising directors, determining the distribution of profits by their companies. It sets out the generally accepted practice on realised and distributable profits under the Companies Act 2006. This guidance is separate to the Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) guidance, which I explained in my answer of 12 February to the noble Baroness. The FRC’s guidance is on auditors’ responsibilities in respect of certain reports and statements which they might be called upon to provide in addition to the audit report.

Medical Treatments: Innovation

the earl of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what involvement the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has had in the establishment of the new Accelerated Access Pathway.

lord henley: The Accelerated Access Pathway (AAP) will launch in April 2018 with the aim of getting those innovations that we believe will be truly transformative to patients more quickly.The establishment of the pathway has been led by government and its partners, working with industry and patients. The co-ordination of government’s input to the development of the pathway sits with the Office for Life Sciences, which is a joint unit between both the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). A representative from BEIS will sit on the Accelerated Access Collaborative, the body responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Accelerated Access Pathway.

New Businesses: Foreign Nationals

lord triesman: To ask Her Majesty's Government what restrictions are imposed by regulation on the eligibility of overseas nationals, whether or not they are citizens of EU member states, (1) to start businesses in the UK, and (2) to serve as directors of such companies.

lord henley: There are no regulatory restrictions on overseas nationals registering a company in the UK or serving as directors on UK registered companies. However, all UK registered companies must have a registered office that is based in the UK and directors of UK registered companies must be at least 16 years old and not disqualified or bankrupt.

British Home Stores: Insolvency

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will instruct the Insolvency Service to publish its report into the collapse of BHS.

lord henley: Following the collapse of BHS in 2015, the Insolvency Service carried out an investigation into the conduct of the former directors of the company and has recently announced that it intends to bring proceedings to disqualify four of the former directors from running or controlling a company for up to fifteen years. The Insolvency Service gathers evidence against individuals, it does not produce a report into the full investigation. On the conclusion of an investigation and once any legal proceedings have been completed, if any directors are disqualified the Insolvency Service will publish the details of the disqualifications and will notify Companies House which keeps the statutory register of disqualifications. In view, however, of the exceptional public interest in this investigation, and once any legal proceedings have been completed, the Insolvency Service will consider what further information it can legitimately publish.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Hong Kong: Rule of Law

lord collins of highbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impacton British businesses of the potential erosion of the rule of law in Hong Kong.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government’s assessment of the situation in Hong Kong, and its implications, is set out in the six-monthly report to Parliament, the most recent of which was deposited in Parliament on 15 March.

Nigeria: Boko Haram

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 26 March (HL Deb, col 613), what representations they have made to the government of Nigeria tosecure the release of Christian schoolgirl Leah Sharibu who was abducted by Boko Haram; and what progress has been made on securing her release.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign Secretary spoke to Vice President Osinbajo on 26 February to extend an offer of additional UK assistance, following the abduction of children from a school in Dapchi.Attacks on schools and abductions of children are abhorrent and must stop.We call for the release of all those abducted. It is important that all those released receive appropriate support including for their families.

Nigeria: Boko Haram

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 26 March (HL Deb, col 613), whether money was given by the government of Nigeria to Boko Haram tosecure the release of school girls in Dapchi; and if so, how much.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Government of Nigeria has confirmed that the school girls in Dapchi were released through negotiation and that no ransom was paid.

Israel: Education

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 21 March (HL6185), whether they intend to make representations to the government of Israel to ensure that all school children are taught both Hebrew and Arabic.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have no plans to raise this issue with the Israeli authorities.

Sudan: Christianity

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatwas their response to (1) the reported arrest in Sudan, since 2011, of nearly 200 Christian leaders, (2) the reported demolition or partial demolition of 20 churches in Sudan, (3) the reported refusal of the Sudanese authorities to provide permits for the replacement of those churches, and (4) the statement of the former US Secretary of State that the government of Sudan “arrests, detains, and intimidates clergy and church members”; and what British aid is being used within Sudan to promote recognition of the obligations under Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, concerning freedom of religion or belief.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Sudan remains a Human Rights Priority Country for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and we are deeply concerned by the continuing demolition of churches, and restrictions on Christian school opening days. We are considering ways that FCO programme funding could help to promote freedom of religion or belief in Sudan.  We continue to raise our concerns about freedom of religion or belief with the Government as part of the human rights element of our UK-Sudan Strategic Dialogue, the next round of which will take place in April.

Sudan: Corruption

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Corruption Perceptions Index 2017, published by Transparency International, which states that among 180 countries assessed Sudan is in 175th place; and how they plan to ensure that, in such a climate, increased bilateral aid will benefit the average Sudanese citizen.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Helping the Government of Sudan to tackle corruption is a key part of our bilateral engagement. We are working with the Government on improvements to the regulatory and business environment, and are collaborating with the World Bank to improve public financial management and remove barriers to private sector development, including corruption.  The UK does not provide money directly to the Government of Sudan, but funds international NGOs and UN agencies to deliver programmes that target the most vulnerable Sudanese citizens.

Sudan: Human Trafficking

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings, reported by Klaas van Dijken and Abdulmoniem Suleiman in January, that key individuals in the government of Sudan are complicit in people smuggling and trafficking;what is their assessment of the extent to which the €100 million EU development package given to Sudan to tackle the flow of irregular migration has addressed that problem; and whether they regard the government of Sudan as part of the solution or part of the problem in combatting human trafficking.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to raise our concerns with the Government of Sudan over allegations that some government officials are involved in the smuggling and trafficking of refugees. Reports such as those by Klaas van Dijken and Abdulmoniem Suleiman help us to engage constructively.The EU has not yet published any results from its €100 million package. It is therefore too early to say what impact the funding has had. Sudan remains a significant source, transit, and host country for migration to the UK. It is vital that we continue to work on irregular migration with the Government of Sudan and with civil society representatives, both as part of the UK-Sudan Strategic Dialogue and under the umbrella of the Khartoum Process.

Caribbean: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

lord naseby: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 10 October 2017 (HL Deb, col 101), whether they will publish their review of the UK's disaster relief operations in the Caribbean following Hurricane Irma; and if so, when.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) led an effective and rapid response to the unprecedented impact of Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean. As is standard practice for our response to all crises, a lessons learned process has since taken place led by the FCO and involving a range of Government Departments. To maintain the integrity of future lessons learned processes, we do not propose to share the results of these exercises outside of Government as it is important that the FCO is able to reflect on lessons learned internally as part of our crisis management process. We are now making progress in implementing the actions identified.

Nguyen Van Dai

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Vietnam about the detention of human rights lawyer Nguyen Van Dai, ahead of his trial on 5 April.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The British Embassy in Hanoi has discussed the case of Ngunyen Van Dai with Vietnamese officials and continues to monitor his case closely. The UK regularly discusses human rights issues with the government of Vietnam and encourages Vietnam to enable free speech and protect the rights of its citizens. Most recently, my Rt. Hon Friend Mark Field, Minister for Asia and the Pacific, raised these issues as part of the UK-Vietnam Strategic Dialogue in January this year.

Vietnam: Human Rights

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the upcoming trials of Vietnamesehuman rights activists, (1) lawyer Nguyen Van Dai, (2) Pastor Nguyen Trung Ton, and (3) activist Nguyen Bac Truyen, who face prison sentences of between 12 and 20 years, life imprisonment or capital punishment if convicted.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Minister of State, Harriett Baldwin MP, has issued a public statement to underline that we are deeply concerned by the conviction of the six members of the Brotherhood for Democracy and the draconian sentences they received. We do not accept that the peaceful expression of views on Vietnam’s own political system, or promotion of basic and universal human rights, should constitute a criminal offence.

Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, following their contribution of £1.2 billion in the2017–18 financial year to the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund,they have commissioned any analysis of the social, economic, political and cultural factors fuelling extremist Islamist jihadism in Nigeria and other beneficiary countries.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development commissioned a Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) in North East Nigeria. A JACS is a strategic assessment used to strengthen cross-government approaches to tackling conflict and instability overseas.  All Conflict, Stability and Security Fund programmes use a wide range of analysis to inform their design.

Nigeria: Religious Freedom

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy toward extremist Islamist groups such as Boko Haram that make public an intention to ethnically cleanse the Christian population in Nigeria.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK remains committed to supporting Nigeria and its neighbours in the fight against Boko Haram. Boko Haram attacks Nigerians of all faiths who do not subscribe to its extremist views, causing immense suffering in both Christian and Muslim communities. We are providing a substantial and increasing package of security, intelligence, humanitarian and development support to Nigeria. This includes training and advice for Nigerian armed forces deploying in the North East and funding in support of the regional Multinational Joint Task Force fighting Boko Haram.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

lord kennedy of southwark: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the situation in Zimbabwe.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We welcome the statements from President Mnangagwa on his intention to implement a wide range of economic and political reforms, including his commitment to holding free and fair elections this year. Implementation of these reforms will be critical for Zimbabwe to realise its desire for international re-engagement.

Russia: Diplomatic Relations

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have considered there may be serious grounds for suspecting the nerve gas used in the Salisbury attack on 5 March was brought into England by the Russian diplomatic bag, contrary to Article 27(4) of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations; and if so, whether they intend to use the provisions of Article 36(2) of that Convention to inspect the personal baggage of Russian diplomatic agents entering the UK.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Article 36(2) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations states that the personal baggage of a diplomatic agent shall be exempt from inspection, unless there are serious grounds for presuming that it contains articles not covered by relevant exemptions. We continue to respect the Vienna Convention.

Department for Education

Children: Day Care

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government why studying for a PhD does not count as work for the purposes of qualifying for free childcare.

lord agnew of oulton: 30 hours free childcare aims to support working parents with the costs of childcare so that they can take up paid work if they want to, or work additional hours. That is why, in general, parents who do not work are not eligible for the additional hours. The government recognises the value of parents continuing and returning to education, and provides support to those enrolled in recognised education courses through other schemes such as the childcare grant. This scheme, available to parents who are in full time higher education, offers parents support with up to 85% of their childcare costs depending on their household income, including those studying for a PhD. In addition, all three and four year olds are eligible for 15 hours of funded early education a week.

Pupils: Drugs

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to protect pupils from new psychoactive substances which are not illegal but aim to mimic illegal substances.

lord agnew of oulton: The government changed the law in 2016 to make it illegal to supply a substance for its psychoactive effect. Schools have a statutory power to search for and confiscate prohibited items such as illegal drugs. The Home Office published its ‘2017 Drug Strategy’ in July 2017. The attached report references effective drug education as being essential in supporting prevention and tackling the problem of drug misuse. In addition, drug education is part of the national curriculum for science at key stage 2 and key stage 3. Through Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE), schools can teach pupils about new psychoactive substances. The PSHE Association's non-statutory programme of study, which references drug education, is available at:https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/curriculum-and-resources/resources/programme-study-pshe-education-key-stages-1%E2%80%935. The government is considering further steps to improve PSHE. The Children and Social Work Act 2017 provides a power for the Secretary of State to make PSHE, or elements therein, mandatory in all schools, subject to careful consideration. Teaching about drugs will be considered as part of this process.



2017_Drug_Strategy
(PDF Document, 1.19 MB)

Pupils: Drugs

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they haveto require schools to record instances involving the use of psychoactive substances in the same wayschools are required to record the use of illegal substances.

lord agnew of oulton: Schools also have a statutory power to search for and confiscate prohibited items such as illegal and controlled drugs. Where they find other substances, which are not controlled drugs, but a teacher believes them to be harmful or detrimental to good order and discipline, these can also be confiscated. The department has produced advice for schools which makes it clear that school staff can search pupils, or their possessions, without consent where there are reasonable grounds to do so. This advice is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/279245/searching_screening_confiscation_advice_feb14.pdf. If a pupil refuses to be searched, the school may bar them from the premises. Schools are not required to record and report instances involving drugs. However, when serious incidents involving the use of drugs occur, we would expect schools to record the incident and inform the parents of the pupil.



Searching_screening_and_confiscation
(PDF Document, 194.93 KB)

Ministry of Justice

Terrorism

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to arrange for all persons serving custodial sentences for terrorist offences to receive copies of the judgment of Mr Justice Haddon-Cave when he sentenced Ahmed Hassan to a minimum of 34 years in prison for attempted murder for planting a bomb on a tube train at Parsons Green.

lord keen of elie: We have no plans to do so. Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) works closely with a range of partners to tackle terrorism and extremism of all ideologies. HMPPS also has a strong multi-faith Chaplaincy dedicated to working with prisoners on all faith matters including providing a proper understanding of Islam. In addition over 13,000 prison staff have received specialist extremism awareness training since January 2017.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Grenfell Tower: Fires

lord tebbit: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to offer tenancies to former tenants of Grenfell Tower who had unlawfully sublet their flats at a profit to persons not entitled to social housing.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea have given a commitment that all households who were living in Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk immediately before the fire will be offered a lifetime tenancy in social housing. The Government is supporting the council to deliver this commitment. This includes all those who were resident in Grenfell Tower at the time of the tragedy and recognises the exceptional circumstances they faced.

Housing: Disability Aids

baroness thomas of winchester: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the timetable for the implementation of the duty on landlords to allow disabled tenants to make access improvements to the hallways, staircases and entrances of residential properties.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government response to the Women and Equalities Select Committee report “Building for Equality: Disability and the Built Environment” published on 15 March 2018, made clear that “Government intends to commence Section 36, subject to Parliamentary passage of any regulations, should these prove necessary. Further work on identifying and assessing any additional burdens on local authorities is first required, after which an announcement on timing of the commencement will be made.”The report can be found (attached) at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disability-and-the-built-environment-government-response-to-select-committee-report



Building for Equality
(PDF Document, 388.23 KB)

Local Government: Property

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor the risk exposure of local authorities acting as property developers and commercial landlords with the primary aim of generating income, as recommended by the Public Accounts Committee in their reportFinancial Sustainability of Local Authorities(HC708), published in November 2016.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: On 2 February 2018 Government issued updated statutory codes that govern capital investment and financing to ensure that local authorities take investment decisions after careful consideration of risk and proportionality, including the potential benefits. These changes enhance transparency requirements – including requiring authorities to demonstrate how they have ensured those signing off commercial decisions understand the risks and opportunities and require local authorities to demonstrate that the level of debt taken on and risk is proportionate to the size of the authority.Individual councils are responsible for their compliance with the codes, within a devolved system. Enhanced transparency requirements make it easier for local taxpayers and others to access the information that they need to hold their local council to account. When councils do not meet the statutory requirements for which they are responsible to deliver adequate services or value for money in their local communities, a range of external systems contribute to the maintenance of regularity, propriety and value for money.

Local Government: Property

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to which access to funds from the Public Works Loan Board by local authorities for the purpose of investing in commercial properties is compliant with the provisions of the Prudential Code relating to the activities of public bodies.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Prudential Code issued by CIPFA makes it clear that local authorities must not borrow more than or in advance of their needs purely to profit from the extra sums invested. This applies to all borrowing activity, not only Public Works Loan Board (PWLB). Our guidance published in February 2018 makes it clear that this section of the Prudential Code applies to non-financial investments, such as commercial property, in the same way that it applies to financial investments. If local authorities chose to ignore this prohibition, they will need to disclose that they are knowingly disregarding statutory guidance and explain their policies in investing the money borrowed, including management of the risks, for example, of not achieving the desired profit or borrowing costs increasing.

Ministry of Defence

Eastern Europe: NATO

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what coordination exists between NATO partners and those Eastern European nations most vulnerable to cyber-attacks and hybrid threats.

earl howe: At its 2016 Summit in Warsaw, NATO made a Cyber Defence Pledge to strengthen both individual and collective capability. The Alliance now engages regularly with its European partners to discuss Cyber and Hybrid threats at both the strategic and operational level. The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (based in Tallinn) and the European Centre of Excellence for countering Hybrid Threats (based in Helsinki) provide expertise and encourage cooperation and information-sharing among NATO Allies, EU Member States, and their partners. The UK is a leading participant in both Centres.

Reserve Forces

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plansthey have to train and use reservists in both the public and private sectors to deal with hybrid threats.

earl howe: The need to respond to hybrid threats was recognised in the Strategic Defence and Security Review of 2015 which established, as part of Joint Force 2025, two innovative brigades comprising a mix of Regulars and specialist capabilities from the Reserves able to contribute to our strategic communications, tackle hybrid warfare and deliver better battlefield intelligence.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Lakeside Energy from Waste

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will make an assessment of the impact on regional waste management of the closure of the Lakeside energy from waste plant; whether they will allow the proposed north-west runway at Heathrow to be built if that plant is demolished; and whether they will assess the impact ofdemolition on each of the 12 councils which use the plant.

lord gardiner of kimble: The government is aware that the Lakeside energy from waste (EfW) facility is situated on the site of the proposed third runway for Heathrow airport. The Department for Transport is also aware of this and has referred to this in Section 5.137 (page 66) of its Revised Draft Airports National Policy Statement (NPS), which went out to consultation in October 2017. The draft Airports NPS is clear that the Government recognises the importance of the plant to local waste management plans, and requires that any applicant for a new Northwest Runway at Heathrow Airport should make reasonable endeavours to ensure that sufficient provision is made to address the reduction in waste treatment capacity caused by the loss of the plant, but the NPS does not require an applicant to relocate the plant. However, it is not strategic national infrastructure for waste, including medical waste, and therefore customers will be able to find alternative suppliers in the event the facility closes. We are aware that the site takes waste from a number of local authorities, including Slough, Reading, Wokingham, Bracknell and the West London Waste Authority. In the revised draft Airports NPS the Government recognises the role of the Lakeside EfW plant in local waste management plans, and requires that any applicant should make reasonable endeavours to ensure that sufficient provision is made to address the reduction in waste treatment capacity caused by the loss of the Lakeside EfW plant.

Lakeside Energy from Waste

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the closure of the high temperature incinerator at Lakeside energy from waste plant on (1) clinical waste management, and (2) NHS trusts and GP surgeries.

lord gardiner of kimble: As the Lakeside energy from waste facility is not nationally significant nor strategic infrastructure for waste, it is unlikely that the closure of the plant would have an impact on the UK’s ability to deal with waste at a national level. Therefore the Government has not made any specific assessments on the effects of the closure of the Lakeside plant on clinical waste, NHS trusts and GP surgeries. However we understand that Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) is already engaging with the owners of the plant and that providing financing and support for a replacement facility is a part of those discussions.

Common Agricultural Policy and Common Fisheries Policy

lord stoddart of swindon: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 23 November 2017 (HL3154), why they have now agreed that the UK will remain subject to the Common Agriculture and Fisheries Policy during the transition period; and what assistance they intend to provide the UK fishing industry immediately after 29 March 2019.

lord gardiner of kimble: On 19 March 2018, the UK and the EU reached agreement on the terms of an implementation period that will start on 30 March 2019 and last until 31 December 2020. Under the agreement, for the Common Agricultural Policy, the UK will not participate in Basic Payment Scheme year 2020, but will continue with Pillar 2 schemes until programme closure. However, the current fisheries rules will continue to apply during the implementation period. The government considers that agreement on an implementation period is necessary to give some sectors of the economy time to adjust and prepare for the UK's departure from the EU. We will shortly publish a White Paper on the future of fisheries policy that will set out our plans to become an independent coastal state in control of our own Exclusive Economic Zone once the implantation period has ended.

Home Office

Slavery

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many negative National Referral Mechanism decisions have been reconsidered and re-issued as a positive decision in the past three years.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office does not publish data on the number of National Referral Mechanism (NRM) decisions that have been reconsidered. The National Crime Agency publishes NRM statistics on their website. http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/national-referral-mechanism-statistics

Human Trafficking: Children

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Independent Child Trafficking Advocates have been recruited.

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the timetable for the roll-out of Independent Child Trafficking Advocates across England and Wales.

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children have been allocated an Independent Child Trafficking Advocate in the last 12 months.

baroness williams of trafford: In advance of national roll out, the Government introduced Independent Child Trafficking Advocates in three early adopter sites (Greater Manchester, Hampshire and nationally in Wales). The service will run in these sites from January 2017 until January 2019. Eight Independent Child Trafficking Advocates have been recruited across the three Early Adopter Sites – three in Wales; two in Greater Manchester; and three in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. From the 30 January 2017 until the end of January 2018, 215 children have been allocated an Independent Child Trafficking Advocate. An Independent Expert Advisory Panel will assess the effectiveness of the model in the early adopter sites. The result of the assessment will inform any necessary improvements to the service before it is rolled out nationally so that this incredibly vulnerable group of children are given the best possible support.

Slavery and Trafficking Reparation Orders

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Slavery and Trafficking Reparation Orders have been applied for.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government does not centrally collate data on the number of applications for Slavery and Trafficking Reparation Orders.

Slavery: Court Orders

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Slavery and Trafficking Prevention and Risk Orders have been granted (1) on application, and (2) on sentencing.

baroness williams of trafford: The latest data made available to the Home Office is for the period July 2015 to March 2017 where 56 Orders were issued in total, consisting of 37 Prevention Orders on conviction, and 19 Risk Orders on application. These figures were published in the 2017 UK annual report on Modern Slavery; https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/652366/2017_uk_annual_report_on_modern_slavery.pdf



2017 UK Annual report on modern slavery
(PDF Document, 711.69 KB)

Radicalism: Schools

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to roll out the Prevent initiative to raise awareness of far-right extremism in schools.

baroness williams of trafford: Since July 2015, specified authorities, including schools, childcare providers, colleges and universities are required under the Prevent duty to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. The Prevent duty guidance makes clear that the duty is intended to address all forms of extremism and terrorism, including Far Right. The Government provides a range of support to schools to implement the duty. For example, the Prevent e-learning package includes examples of Far Right extremism, and our Educate Against Hate website for teachers includes lesson plans to support discussion about far right extremism in the classroom.

UK-France Migration Committee

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK–France Migration Committee has met since the Sandhurst Treaty was agreed; and if so, what (1) decisions it has taken, and (2) action it has approved.

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether one or more British liaison officers have been appointed under Article 5 of the Sandhurst Treaty; if so, how those officerscan be contacted; and whether a meeting of experts has been summoned for the application of Articles 2, 3 and 4 of that Treaty.

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether Franco-British cooperation has improved since 1 February, in particular (1)concerning the implementation of the Dublin III Regulation, and (2) in cases of unaccompanied children seeking protection and asylum.

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many unaccompanied refugee children have been transferred to the UK under Articles 2 and 3 of the Sandhurst Treaty, since 1 February.

baroness williams of trafford: The UK-France Migration Committee most recently met on 27 March 2018. The Committee routinely discusses ongoing co-operation on migration and border security, including how agreed funding should be spent. This meeting followed a similar pattern with a particular focus on implementing elements of the Sandhurst Treaty such as improvements to port security and infrastructure, and measures to reduce the impact of migration on Northern French ports. The UK and France have a long-standing relationship on co-operating on unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, including transfers of eligible children under the Dublin Regulation and section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016. A constructive official-level meeting relating specifically to the asylum elements of the Sandhurst Treaty took place on 9 February. Cooperation continues on all elements of the Treaty, and the UK has appointed a Liaison Officer to France who will deploy in the coming weeks to support this work. The Government will transfer 480 unaccompanied children from Europe to the UK under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016. Over 220 children are already here and transfers are ongoing. We will not provide a running commentary on numbers. On 22 February 2018, the Home Office published data on the number of transfers into the UK from other Dublin states. The relevant statistics can be found at as_22_q, asylum volume 5 at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/immigration-statistics-october-to-december-2017-data-tables. 2018 Dublin data will be published in February 2019.



asylum5-oct-dec-2017-tables
(Excel SpreadSheet, 1.03 MB)

Department for Exiting the European Union

Business

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to address concerns that the provisional nature of the Brexit transition deal does not provide sufficient reassurance to businesses; and what steps they will take to provide such reassurance.

lord callanan: The UK and EU negotiating teams have agreed a time-limited implementation period, the terms of which were endorsed by the remaining 27 EU Member States at the March European Council (22-23 March). Common rules will remain in place until the end of the period meaning business will be able to trade on the same terms as now up until the end of 2020. These terms will not change. The Government welcomes the comments made by business groups such as the British Chambers of Commerce who have acknowledged that “while some companies would have liked to see copper-bottomed legal guarantees around the transition, the political agreement reached in Brussels is sufficient for most businesses to plan ahead with a greater degree of confidence.” Ministers and officials will continue to engage extensively with businesses and regulators to ensure that businesses can plan with certainty for the future.